Body was lying near Prosser for nearly a week

A still unidentified man was dead for four or five days before a passing driver noticed him Wednesday next to Interstate 82, said Benton County’s coroner.

Police are still trying to figure out who he is and find his family. He was found on the south side of the interstate near a barbed-wire fence about a mile east of Prosser.

He had no obvious wounds.

He is estimated to be 55 to 70 years old and was balding with a long beard. He was wearing jeans, a dark-green jacket and a black beanie cap, said the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

“Given the circumstances he’s probably a resident of the area based on the clothing he was wearing,” said Coroner John Hansens. “He was wearing shoes but no socks. A coat but no shirt.”

He did not have a wallet or keys.

Deputies are checking with nearby residents to see if anyone knew him or had seen him around the area, Hansens said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning to determine how he died.

Anyone with information about the man is asked to contact the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at 509-628-0333 and reference case number 18-00770.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Body was lying near Prosser for nearly a week."